Losing feeling. . . .

A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.
–Pope Francis


So far in Cleveland, 2018 has given us of frozen pipes and furnace failures, snow forts and icy rivers. Some days, the cold seems to seep straight into our bones. The sunshine, while brilliant, does little to warm the frozen landscape.

Then came the warm-up. The frozen landscape turned to mud; frozen rivers jammed up and leapt their banks. A real weather roller coaster.

It’s been challenging. And we have survived. These are the days when John Wesley would ask—and listen for the answer:

How is it with your soul?

Have you experienced a “spiritual winter”? A season when, despite brilliance and light all around, our soul feels cold and alone? God can seem so very far away, his voice barely a whisper (if we can hear God at all). Spiritual winter comes to each of us, perhaps for a day, a week—or a seemingly interminable stretch.

And then, when we least expect it, a warm spell, often coming from other people. Friends and family who listen as we explain how God just seems to have disappeared. . . . And the glimmer of warmth grows stronger.

We need one another, especially during spiritual dry spells. God’s very nature is one of community. Don’t stay out in the cold. Come together. Pass the Light. Let your heart be warmed.

Monday Is there someone you haven’t seen in church for a couple weeks (even though it’s been miserably cold)? Pray for them; then take a few minutes to drop them a line or make a phone call. Ezekiel 34:11-16

Tuesday If your neighborhood is like mine, we often lose touch during the cold months. Reach out today to a neighbor whom you haven’t seen recently. Romans 13:9-10

Wednesday Today (or another day this week), if you stop for a coffee or a bite to eat, consider paying for the person behind you in line. (Once begun, this often spreads like wildfire and goes on for a long time.) Luke 6:37-38

Thursday Pray today for those who are hospitalized, especially those who have come from out of town to be served by our wonderful health communities here. Pray, as well, for those travelling for surgical care. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Friday Pray for folks who volunteer in our community: in schools, in hospitals, serving meals to the homeless. Consider volunteering your time or perhaps making a donation to a local organization. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Saturday Today as you pray for yourself, give thanks for the many opportunities you have to reach out to others. Pause and think for a few minutes: how is your life a living Gospel? 1 Corinthians 1:17

Sunday Pray for our local students of all ages. Give thanks for their curious minds. Let them inspire you to always be learning something new. Proverbs 1:20-21 


It was so cold today that I saw a dog chasing a cat, and the dog was walking. 
–Mickey Rivers

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more